|
|
| |
|
A MASTER WEAVER
THE SILKWORM
|
In Bursa the story of silk begins in spring when the
mulberry trees begin to leaf,
|
Soft and
pure, silk has come down to us over thousands of years.
Sultans once worn silk caftans, palaces were furnished with
fine silk carpets. Today silk is
a
fashionable fabric for garments. And it's all made by a tiny
insect, the silkworm. Here is the story, pure and simple, of
silk and the silkworm. Because of this fabric, which soothes
the eye and caresses the skin, thousands of kilometers of
caravan routes developed over the centuries and became known
as the Silk Road. The Chinese were the first to discover the
silkworm and obtain silk from it. Starting to raise
silkworms in 2600 B.C., they found ways of producing silk
and began selling the valuable cloth to the four corners of
the world. |
|
|
The silkworm feeds
exclusively on mulberry
leaves. The quality of the leaves
determines the quality of the silk |
Silk
production in Turkey commenced about
1500 years
ago. Developed to an art by the Ottomans, it remains an
important branch of industry today Bursa is the first place
that comes to mind at the mention of silk in Turkey Silk and
the raising of silkworms was so highly developed here that
an inn for caravans was erected in its name. Known as the
'Koza Han' or 'Cocoon Inn', silkworm growers used to arrive
here with baskets full of cocoons which they sold to
merchants. |
Silk
products are still sold at the Koza Han, but these are
factory-produced rayons today. Forty thousand families
in Turkey are currently engaged in silk production,
supported by incentives from the Silk Worm Institute at
Bursa.
FROM MULBERRY LEAF TO SILK
The production of pure silk is
a
painstaking process. The first signs of life appear in
the seeds in spring when the mulberry trees begin to
leaf. Following a 19-day incubation period, the
caterpillars emerge. Only millimeters long, these tiny
worms undergo four metamorphoses, becoming gradually
larger and lighter in color every time they shed their
skin. Following the fourth metamorphosis they reach
eight centimeters. The worm, which is mature at the end
of this 20-25-day period, stops eating and begins to
weave his cocoon. Proceeding to the end of one of the
branches, each of which has been specially prepared, he
chooses a place to make his cocoon. These are actually
the last days of the silkworm's brief life. Twisting and
turning, he begins weaving his cocoon with the silk he
secretes. The weaving process is completed in
2-5
days on average. Then the cocoons are then tossed into
boiling water. The silkworm eats only one thing, the
leaf of the mulberry. |
|
From seed to silk, silk production is a labor of love |
|
The higher the quality of the leaves, the higher the
quality of the cocoon and, in turn, the silk. The
mulberry leaf is extremely sensitive, susceptible to
everything. Once, for example, when they were
spraying the olive trees at Trilye, the mulberry
trees were affected and shed all their leaves. Due
to this sensitivity, strangers are not allowed into
the rooms with the silkworms and mulberry leaves in
some villages where silkworms are raised. |
|
THE SILK DANCE
When you enter
a
room where silkworms are raised, you'll hear the
sound they produce as they eat the mulberry leaves.
So soothing is it that you won't want to leave, and
your heart |
The silkworm
about to start spinning his cocoon |
|
will be filled with peace and astonishment. It's
dark inside. The worms don't like light. Then, as
you come closer and try to hear the soft rustling up
close, you will marvel at their elegant contortions. |
|
The insect that
emerges from the cocoon first finds himself a mate |
To
raise new worms, some of the worms are left in their
cocoons. When the time comes they are placed on
special adhesive paper and left to wait. Soon the
cocoon begins to sway, one end becomes moist and
a
new silkworm emerges to his job.
Beating his wings rapidly, he seems to want to fly,
but he cannot. His job is to wait. He will find
himself a mate from another cocoon. Their union is
like a ritual. While the male stands quietly by,
|
|
the female beats her wings incessantly. Their union
consummated, the male dies. The job of the female is
not done yet. She must lay the eggs for the next
season. Commencing shortly to trace circles in
place, she starts laying her eggs. Thanks to the
adhesive, they don't fall to the ground. When the
female's mad dance is ended, her movements slow and
she dies.Her job is complete. It's time now to
process the cocoons. |
|
Approximately
1000-1500 meters are silk thread are obtained from
the single cocoon left behind by the silkworm in his
brief twomonth lifespan. In those two months, 600
kilos of leaves are consumed in a room the size of a
box with 20 thousand silkworms. Exactly forty
mulberry trees are needed for this amount of leaves.
Have you ever seen this lovely insect? Or held one
in your hand? Their soft wet feel may not convince
you of what a beautiful fabric they are the original
producers.
But let us remember that this tiny insect occasioned
the building of thousands of kilometers of roads,
and gave us his gift of soft, pure, bedazzling
cloth. |
Their union is
like a ritual |
|
Bursting from his cocoon, he's a butterfly, now |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Source: Skylife 01/04 |
|
Fatma
Ongan&Refik Ongan |
|
|
|
|
|
|
